Picture hanging device

ABSTRACT

A device for hanging a picture and adjusting its height relative to a wall is provided. The device comprises a back plate member that attaches to the wall, a riser member that slides relative to the back plate member, and an eccentric disc operably engaging the riser member to raise or lower the picture. The picture itself is hung from a hook extending outward from the riser member.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

This patent relates to a device for hanging pictures and the like. Moreparticularly, this patent relates to a device for hanging a picture andadjusting its height relative to a wall.

2. Description of the Related Art

Numerous devices are known in the art for hanging a picture on a wall.While some of these devices also enable a user to level the picture,none enable the user to adjust the overall picture height.

Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a device thatallows for easy vertical adjustment of pictures. Further and additionalobjects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, andappended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a device for hanging a picture and adjustingits height relative to a wall. The device comprises a back plate memberthat attaches to a wall, a riser member that slides relative to the backplate member, and an eccentric disc affixed to the back plate memberthat operably engages the riser member to raise or lower the risermember and thus the picture. The picture itself is hung from a hookextending outwardly from the riser member.

In one embodiment the back plate is generally rectangular and comprisesopposing C-shaped vertically oriented channels within which the risercan slide. The back plate member can be affixed to the wall by nails,screws, adhesive or other suitable means of attachment.

The riser member comprises a top cross member, opposing side membersconnected by the top cross member, and a bottom cross member. The sidemembers and cross members define a rectangular opening large enough toaccommodate the eccentric disc. The top cross member has a lower edgehaving gear-like teeth that engage similar teeth on the eccentric disc.

Preferably the eccentric disc is circular and has a center and aperimeter and teeth disposed around at least part of the perimeter. Theteeth actionably engaging the riser teeth when the riser is at thedesired position resting on the eccentric disc. The disc is rotatablyattached to the back plate at an off-center location (defined by a rivethole) such that rotating the disc (while the riser is temporarilydisengaged) causes a different tooth (on the perimeter of the disc) topresent itself to the riser teeth and thus (when the riser is returnedto its loaded position) the riser assumes a raised or lowered height.

The eccentric disc may include position indicators evenly arranged inspaced relationship around the disc to facilitate adjustments to theheight settings by visual reference to the riser teeth. The eccentricdisc may also comprise a slot located diametrically opposite the rivethole along a diametric line to facilitate adjustment of the riser.

Preferably the hook member extends forward the channels in a directionaway from the wall to exert both downward and lateral forces on theriser, thereby stabilizing the riser in a fixed vertical position andkeeping the disc from rotating to a different height adjustment when apicture or other load is hung from the hook.

THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a picture hanging device according tothe present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the picture hanging device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 a is a front elevational view of the picture hanging device ofFIG. 1 shown with the riser in an intermediate position.

FIG. 3 b is a front elevational view of the picture hanging device ofFIG. 1 shown with the riser in an elevated position.

FIG. 3 c is a front elevational view of the picture hanging device ofFIG. 1 shown with the riser in a lowered position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While this invention may be embodied in many forms, there is shown inthe drawings and will herein be described in detail one or moreembodiments with the understanding that this disclosure is to beconsidered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and isnot intended to limit the invention to the illustrated embodiments.

Turning to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 one embodimentof the present invention, a device for hanging and changing the verticalheight (elevation) of a picture or other article. In its general form,the picture hanging device 10 comprises a back plate 12, a slide orriser 14, an eccentrically mounted disc 16 and a rivet 18.

The back plate 12 is generally rectangular and comprises a substantiallyflat back panel 20 having two opposing C-shaped channels 22 within whichthe riser 14 slides and an opening 21 (FIG. 2) located intermediate andpreferably equidistant from the channels 22. Additional laterally spacedopenings 24 disposed in the back panel 20 accommodate nails, screws (notshown) or other means for attaching the picture hanging device 10 to awall. The C-shaped channels 22 are formed by edge portions of the backplate 20, short side walls that extend outwardly (away from the wall)and at right angles from the back plate 20, and short top walls thatextend inwardly (towards each other) and at right angles from the sidewalls.

The riser 14 comprises opposing side members 26 connected by ahorizontal top cross member 28 and a bottom cross member 32. A hookmember 30 extends upward from the top cross member 28 and slightlyoutward from the wall when the device 10 is installed. The horizontallower edge 34 of the top cross member 28 comprises teeth or serrations35, the function of which is described below. The side members 26 andcross members 28, 32 define a rectangular opening large enough toaccommodate the eccentric disc 16. The vertical height of that openingmust be greater than the diameter of the eccentric disc 16 so that theriser 14 can be temporarily lifted from the disc 16 to enable the disc16 to be rotated.

The eccentric disc 16 is so called because it is rotatably attached tothe back plate 12 at an off-center location defined by rivet hole 36(FIG. 2), thereby causing the disc 16 to rotate in an eccentric mannerwith respect to the back plate 12. The disc 16 is circular and comprisesgear-like teeth 38 disposed about its perimeter. When the device 10 isassembled, the disc teeth 38 mesh with the serrations 35 along the loweredge 34 of the top cross member 28 of the riser 14.

To assemble the device 10, the riser side members 26 are slid within theopposing channels 22 of the back plate 12 until the opening 21 in theback plate 12 appears within the rectangular opening defined by theriser side members 26 and cross members 28, 32. The eccentric disc 16 isthen secured to the back plate 12 by a rivet 18 or other suitableattachment means passing through the off-center opening 36 in the disc16 and the opening 21 in the back plate 12. The riser 14 is then slidfurther downward until the disc teeth 38 operably engage the riser teeth35. Preferably the riser 14 engages the eccentric disc 16 when the discis in the intermediate position shown in FIG. 3 a so that the riser 14can be adjusted up or down as will now be explained.

The invention works in the following manner. The picture hanging device10 is secured to a wall, preferably with two nails, and a picture (notshown) hung from the hook member 30 while the riser 14 is in theintermediate position. At this point the picture should be hung at aheight close to but not necessarily the same as its desired finalheight. Assuming a height adjustment is needed, the picture is thenremoved from hook member 30 so a height adjustment can be made.

Picture height adjustment either up or down are made in the followingthree step manner. First, the riser 14 is lifted (disengaged) from theeccentric disc 16. Next, the eccentric disc 16 is rotated clockwise orcounterclockwise as needed to present different teeth 38 on the disc 16to engage the riser teeth 35. Finally, the riser 14 is lowered back downto its loaded position wherein the riser teeth 35 once again engage thedisc teeth 38 and the picture once again hung from the hook member 30.The disc 16 may be rotated by engaging a flat screwdriver or similartool in the slot 40 located diametrically opposite the rivet 18 androtating the disc 16 either clockwise or counterclockwise.

FIG. 3 a shows the device 10 with the riser 14 located in theintermediate position. In the intermediate position the median line(defined as a diametric line intersecting both the center point and thepivot point 18 of the disc 16 is horizontal. From the position shown inFIG. 3 a, rotating the disc 16 clockwise will cause the riser 14 toelevate and rotating the disc 16 counterclockwise will cause the riser14 to lower.

FIG. 3 b shows the riser in its highest position, one in which the rivet18 (and thus the rotational point of the eccentric disk 16) is locateddirectly below the disc's center point. Any rotation of the eccentricdisc 16 from the position shown in FIG. 3 b, either clockwise orcounterclockwise, will cause the riser 14 to lower.

Rotating the disc 16 counterclockwise from the position of FIG. 3 a willcause the riser to move downward. FIG. 3 c shows the riser in its lowestposition, one in which the rivet 18 is located directly above the disc'scenter point. Any rotation of the eccentric disc 16 from the positionshown in FIG. 3 c, either clockwise or counterclockwise, will cause theriser 14 to elevate.

In the embodiment shown in the figures there are ninety teeth 38 locatedon the perimeter of the disc 16 spaced at four degree intervals. Thisconfiguration allows for forty-five discrete height settings on thecounterclockwise side of the median line and forty-five discrete heightsettings on the clockwise side of the median line. The total traveldistance of the riser 14 from the topmost (FIG. 3 b) to the bottommost(FIG. 3 a) positions is a function of the dimensions of the picturehanging device 10, particularly the diameter of the eccentric disc 16.

It should be understood that the disc 16 can be made with any suitablenumber of teeth 38. For example, a disc 16 made with thirty teethinstead of ninety may be more suitable for smaller versions of thepicture hanging device 10. The serrations 35 along the lower edge 34 ofthe riser 14 can also be varied to match the dimensions of the discteeth 38.

The “tooth to tooth” interval (i.e., the degree arc from one tooth apexto the adjacent tooth apex) is a function of the number of teeth 38. Fora disc 16 having ninety teeth 38 the tooth to tooth interval is fourdegrees. For a disc 16 having thirty teeth 38 the arc between adjacentteeth is twelve degrees.

The rotational asymmetry of the disc 16 (i.e. the degree of offsetbetween any pair of otherwise diametrically opposed teeth) is also afunction of the number of teeth 38, and equals ¼ of the tooth to toothinterval. For a disc 16 having ninety teeth 38 and thus a tooth to toothinterval of four degrees the rotational asymmetry is one degree. For adisc 16 having thirty teeth 38 and a tooth to tooth interval of twelvedegrees the rotational asymmetry is three degrees.

In the illustrated embodiment twelve position indicators or marks 42 onthe proximal side of the disc 16 (away from the wall) are spaced aroundthe disc 16 at thirty degree intervals. These marks 42 are used tofacilitate adjustments to the height settings by visual reference to theriser teeth 35.

It should be understood that due to the geometry of the device 10 thedisc 16 will not rotate when engaging the riser 14, even when a load(eg. a picture) is placed on the hook member 30. In addition, becausethe riser side members 26 are slidably engaged within the verticalchannels 22 in the back plate 12, and because the hook member 30 extendsupward from the top cross member 28, forward the channels 22 and awayfrom the wall, any load placed on the hook member 30 will exert bothdownward and lateral forces on the riser 14, thereby stabilizing theriser 14 in a fixed vertical position and keeping the disc 16 fromrotating to a different height adjustment.

Other modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention arecontemplated which do not depart from the scope of the invention asdefined by the foregoing teachings and appended claims. It is intendedthat the claims cover all such modifications that fall within theirscope.

1. A device (10) for hanging a picture and adjusting its height relativeto a wall, the device (10) comprising: a back plate member (12)comprising opposing vertically oriented channels (22); a riser member(14) slidably mounted within the channels (22) and comprising a topcross member (28) and a hook member (30) attached to the top crossmember (28), the top cross member (28) having a lower edge (34)comprising teeth (35), the riser member (14) having a position relativeto the back plate member (12); and an eccentric disc (16) having acenter and a perimeter and teeth (38) disposed around at least part ofthe perimeter, the disc teeth (38) configured to operable engage theriser teeth (35), the disc (16) being rotatably attached to the backplate (12) at an off-center location (36); wherein disengaging the riserteeth (35) from the disc teeth (38), rotating the disc (16) and thenre-engaging the riser teeth (35) with the disc teeth (38) causes theriser member position to be raised or lowered with respect to the backplate member (12).
 2. The device 10 of claim 1 wherein the hook member(30) extends forward the channels (22) in a direction away from thewall.
 3. The device (10) of claim 1 wherein the riser further comprisesopposing side members (26) connected to each other by the top crossmember (28) and further connected to each other by a bottom cross member(32), wherein the side members (26) and cross members (28, 32) define anopening large enough to accommodate the eccentric disc (16).
 4. Thedevice (10) of claim 1 wherein the eccentric disc (16) further comprisesposition indicators (42) evenly arranged in spaced relationship aroundthe disc (16).
 5. The device (10) of claim 1 wherein the eccentric disc(16) further comprises a slot (40) located diametrically opposite theoff-center location (36).
 6. The device of claim 5 wherein the eccentricdisc (16) is rotatably affixed to the back plate (12) by a rivet (18)extending through an opening in the disc (16) located at the off-centerlocation (36) and through an opening (21) in the back plate (12).
 7. Thedevice of claim 6 wherein the opening (21) in the back plate (12) isequidistant the channels (22).
 8. A device (10) for hanging a pictureand adjusting its height relative to a wall, the device (10) comprising:a back plate member (12) having means for securing the back plate member(12) to the wall; a riser member (14) affixed to the back plate member(12) in a manner that allows the riser to move vertically with respectto the back plate member (12), the riser member (14) having means formounting a picture thereon; and an eccentric disc (16) having anoff-center location (36) and rotatably attached to the back plate member(12) at the off-center location (36), the disc (16) configured tooperable engage the riser member (14) such that rotating the disc (16)causes the riser member (14) to assume a raised or lowered position withrespect to the back plate member (12).
 9. The device (10) of claim 8wherein the back plate member (12) has two vertically oriented channels(22) which capture the riser member (14) and within which the risermember (14) can slide vertically.
 10. A method for adjusting thevertical height of a picture comprising the steps of: providing a device(10) comprising back plate member (12) having opposing verticallyoriented channels (22), the back plate member (12) being attached to awall, a riser member (14) slidably mounted within the channels (22) andhaving a hook member (30) on which a picture is hung, and an eccentricdisc (16) rotatably attached to the back plate (12) at an off-centerlocation (36) and operably engaging the riser member (14); removing thepicture from the hook member (30); disengaging the riser member (14)from the eccentric disc (16); rotating the disc (16); re-engaging theriser member (14) with the disc (16); and re-hanging the picture on thehook member (30).
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the disc member(16) has a perimeter and teeth (38) located around the perimeter whichoperable engage teeth (35) located on the riser member (14).